Cardfight Training Area

"Oi, oi, you guys underestimatin' me or somethin'? I can handle it man! I got the kid's back! When I'm done with him, he'll be only full of sunflower seeds!" Ezel almost felt insulted at the notion of the rest of the clan helping out over him. ... Which was kind of ridiculous, considering if he used his full power and presence, he'd be stuck there with Daiyusha. Mind you, this is exactly the kind of response Yugure expected out of the lion. Never mind his stupid joke.

She was his best friend, after all... sadly.

"What was that 'sadly' bit?!"

"Don't you worry", Yugure said to Darren. "I may miss Ezel if he goes or not, but I'll be plenty happy if I know you're safe, and he's safe with you."

Darren smiled lightly as he knew there wouldn't be a way around it. Kaizard wasn't going to fight it either. 'Yusha always called me stubbron. But its enough to know you're not taking no for an answer. We'll do it your way.

Darren nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder. They would both be losing an important friend, all for the sake of what Darren did. He felt responsible for it. He couldn't help but give Yugure a hug. Maybe it was from all that had happened or all that she was going to lose from this. Maybe he just needed it because he had this burden on his shoulders for all this time. Whatever it was, he moved on his own and was now embracing her, not romantically of course.

Darren sighed lightly and said, "If we're really gonna have Ezel go to where Daiyusha is... how... exactly do we do that?"

Yugure put on a happy expression in response to seeing Darren smile. She somehow knew Ezel's aggressive way of handling things with tacked on comedy would help. The lion fist pumped, triumphing over... in being hardheaded. The Chosen Sword was a bit caught off guard when Darren suddenly hugged her, though. At first, she simply returned the embrace by wrapping her arms around him. But after a moment, she began to remember that this war hadn't happened solely for the sake of revenge.

The whole reason she came back from the deepest, darkest depths of despair from a destroyed timeline was to save people - to help them like the Dimension Police fighter here.

That thought drove her to hug him a bit more tightly, protectively, even rubbing his back a bit. A silent "thank you" for reminding her of her purpose, and Ezel's.

"Don't worry about how I'm getting there, man. If you feel tingly all of a sudden, that's probably me. If my card goes blank, that's probably me going in, or my card's ink dripping off."

Darren felt her tighten the embrace. He could feel the warmth of it and it gave him reassurance that things would be alright. For all that had happened, Darren wanted to be able to smile with his friends again, Yugure included.  After all, you don't hug someone and not consider them a friend afterwards.

"Let's hope its not the second one," Darren said as a half joke. He looked at Yugure for a moment and said, "And you shouldn't worry about me too much. I had to have the Dimensional Robos help me... but I found a way to get stronger that was different from everyone else. When I fought the older Noel, she had a Stride unit and I didn't need one to fight her. Daikaiser said his power was similar but more stable and I really could do it would getting tired out. So I'm still strong enough to help you and stuff."

Despite the odd reasoning for it, he was happy to be here with Yugure, someone who would understand what is happening to him. He still didn't know if he should tell Xat about all of this. The Reverse hurt her so much so knowing that a part of it, something that could restart it all was resting in him now... there wasn't really a good way to say that.

After separating from the hug, she chuckled a bit over Darren replying to another one of Ezel's stupid jokes. The lion snickered. It was his specialty to make people giggle over the dumbest things. The Chosen Sword then listened to some details about him fighting the Seed. That other Noel... he found the girl with the Dragon of Hell's power without transcendence? "Daikaiser's power is similar..." That was an interesting and impressive though. While part of her was proud of the two for being able to work with their own prowess, part of her... wanted to get Daikaiser's assistance in stabilizing Stride.

Then she remembered the sheer might of Aurageyser Dragon just appearing. Stabilizing that abyss dragon was probably impossible. Others, however...

"Good work", the smiling commander praised. "Finding a work around like that and succeeding is the kind of manpower we all need."

Yugure took out her cell phone. "I'll have to inform the others about your Seed, along with Dalis'. I don't want anybody trying to hunt you two down because of my order."

She didn't even know Darren wanted to keep it under wraps.

Darren smiled at her praise. He had worked hard to be able to use Daikaiser's power without tiring from it. It was always taxing to his body before, but now it was much easier. A unit that could gain the power of a Stride on Break Ride and even had 3 drive checks. Daikaiser's knowledge of other dimensions could probably be used with Stride Research, but today wasn't the day to think about that.

When she mentioned telling others, Darren turned and said, "Ah... right..." He looked down with a grimace, letting out a sigh as he said, "You don't think they'll hate me for having this in me right? Or... be afraid of what I might do? I don't know if Xat... I mean everyone can understand that I shouldn't be dangerous if things work out the way we want them to."

No matter how scary it is, its better to tell them early rather than keep them in the dark. If they find out on their own later, it'll be like you were plotting.

"I... I guess that's right..." Even though that did make perfect sense, he was afraid of how people would react.

Waking up this morning felt more like a chore than actually a normal routine thing. Haruka's brain was just not functioning properly today. He faintly smelled coffee and heard a giggle.

"Hmm... he-llo..?"

"Wake up, sweetheart..."

"Yukino...?"

Haruka did not exactly shoot up out of bed, but he was quick on the pickup off sitting up, rubbing his eyes, yawning, stretching, the whole waking-up process. When he turned his head, he swore he was seeing illusions are he must just have blurry eyes.

Rubs eyes once more.

Looks.

Haruka could not possibly fathom what he was seeing right now. His heart began to race at nearly lightspeed. Sweat formed at his temples and ankles in fear and desperation to get out of his room and to the closest security guard for assistance because a boy, adorned in pure white hair and stitching up and down his arms and body was standing the room, wide-eyed and holding a platter of coffee and bagels. The grin he was wearing was something straight out of a horror movie.

"W-Who the fu-"

"Harukaaaa... how did you already forget about me? Its only been a couple days, after all."

"What?!" Haruka slipped off the back edge of his bed, crawling to the other corner of the room. He threw a spare shirt on the floor at, what he believed to be, an apparition. No way he was getting ghostified today, no sirree.

"What do you want from me?"

"What do I want? Are you.... you seriously don't remember me. That's kind of disappointing."

The pale boy walked over to Haruka. They looked nearly identical if you looked at them side-by-side, save for the stitching on the one boy.

He kneeled down stretching out his hand and..

flicking Haruka on the forehead.

"People around.. don't really call me anything. But I have an alias, if you want it?"

"W-Wha...?"

"Call me..."

He grinned, wrapping his arms around Haruka for a giant hug, nearly crushing Haruka's insides in one fatal squeeze.

"Seraaaaa!"

Haruka began hyperventilating, for more reasons than one. But for all intensive purposes, it was less for the announcement and more that he was completely unable to breathe at the moment. He simply started going limp in Sera's arms.

"Se-Security....." Haruka called out with probably his last breath.

Just kidding, Sera let go right as Haruka was about to hit his fainting spell.

There was going to be a LOT of explaining to do before anyone ended up leaving this room. For the meantime, Sera plopped onto Haruka's bed, waiting for the boy himself to regain the wind that was promptly juiced out of him by the, er, reincarnated devil's incarnate?

Awkward x2.

"Nobody's going to hate you. And they won't be afraid of you either."

Yugure sent out the information to everyone, and got information on some kind of disturbance in Gotem City. Though, Father Espoir called his daughter home on some sort of "urgent business". "Send a team to deal with the troubles of Gotem City, I'm heading back to the manor. I'll be back later."

"Ah, but we won't be here later-!"

A soldier tried to inform his commander of the coming situation, but she simply left before he could say anything.

"The city?" Darren said as he thought about it for a moment. It was probably another one of those Seeded people like Noel. Darren knew he had the power to fight him but... should he? If he lost then...

If you really want to, then let's go...

"But what about Daiyusha?"

Look down at the Ezel card... Darren looked as he was told. The unit was already faded. He'll make sure Daiyusha's body is in one piece, so go. I won't stop you this time, kid." Darren nodded as he rushed off towards Gotem City.

Outside the room Xat heard the converstation and frowned. After hearing all that she couldn't tell Yugure what she had seen, for Yugure had other probelms to deal with. She let out a sigh and walked away, the others shouldn't be dragged into this was what crossed her mind. She left the medical bay and walked out to the area. She need to think and there was only one place she felt at ease the forest.

Returning to Headquarters at the Training Area with the complete triad, along with carrying the fixed sweater from yesterday, Yugure was met with the sight of equipment... being carried out. What is this? Though the way here was a bit staggering due to the woman losing her sense of direction and a bit of footing, she seems to have gathered most of her coherent thought processes back. The girl rushed forward to the door, and the guards at the entrance put their hands up in a halting command motion.

"What the hell is going on here, soldier?" Yugure asked the one wearing a badge of higher rank.

"War with Star-vaders is over. We did our part and now we have to uphold our end of the bargain with Mr. Kirguis. We're packing up and leaving."

"What?! When was I going to be told this?!"

"We got reports saying you were told multiple times."

Yugure looked off to the distance, vaguely remembering someone talking about it once...vaguely.

"But we can't leave yet, the reapers are coming!"

"Listen, commander. I can't comment on whatever the hell you're talking about. I'm only doing what I've been told to, and keeping our word."

"... Fine."

"Hey, look at it this way. Now's your chance to relax."

Yugure snarled. They really couldn't stay here longer than they were welcome. That was a condition that they agreed to. Even so... with the reapers on the horizon, they still needed something... or maybe they're really not coming at all? Maybe Yugure's fears are truly driving her insane. The rest of the Resistance didn't even know about the eldritchs, let alone believe her if she told her story. Perhaps... the thought of this "arrival" was a nightmare and only that.

The Chosen Sword could relax when she's dead, but once the Seeds are all gone... Maybe the reapers really won't show up.

"Where are you taking Shiki?" Yugure inquired.

"Somewhere in Umano. You can check up on him there."

"And Seifer? He's still in a coma. You can't just leave him here!"

"Your dad is personally funding his life support. We're getting him to an actual hospital, like he needs to be in."

"... Thank you. Good service, soldier."

"Ma'am. Also, here's the Reverse energy tracker. Lab boys thought it'd help in finding the Seeds if they work like Glendios."

Yugure pinched the bridge of her nose, returning to the triad very, very annoyed with the radar. "I still need to find the Tetra-Drive girl, at least... then the Seeds..."

Haruka was making small talk with Satoshi whilst Yukino went and made conversation with the guards at the front gate.

"So, you really like my coffee? You should try and help me prepare it sometime. Its a great experience, promise!" Haruka was nearly grinning ear-to-ear talking about his little passion of his. Sort of the last one he has, since Vanguard has become more of a game of suffering than fun. Maybe eventually he'd learn to love the game again like he used too.

The return of his beloved and the third corner of the Triad reappeared with apparent frustration written across her face. And a new gizmo in her grips. Ooh, shiny!

"Tetra-Drive girl? Uh, sorry, nothing rings a bell. At least, not on the top of my head-"

I could probably find him. Tetra-Drive Dragon. He is one of the current commanders in place in my fleet.

"U-Uh.... Yeah I don't know where that kind of person could be."

Haruka was tired of hearing voices, and if this is who he thought it was, he would deal with this matter entirely at a whole different time. No use talking to himself now.

"But, on the upside, its sort of hard to miss the seeds. They're practically gods. I'd be surprised if one walked by without even making a sound."



Amatsuki walked by the group, chewing on a chocolate bar while listening to music. He had a very good walking pattern so his steps were practically near silent. No way anybody would really pick up on his presence unless they were looking specifically for him. Even his energies were kept at a low level due to him being the weakest power-wise of the seeds, and only able to search people out himself. But... its not like he's particularly invisible.



Haruka scratched his head, looking at the remaining Triad.

"You guys really do need to relax. Satoshi I'm assuming is somewhat relaxed already... Considering he came to the Espoir Mansion not for information, but coffee. Obviously a good start, man. But dear..."

He shook his, giving a slight sigh and a childish face at her.

"Loooosen uuuuuppppp." He gave a slight scolding finger to her, peering at her.

This looked 100x more ridiculous considering he was still wearing his work uniform.

And combat boots.

The Reverse radar went off faintly, actually. Though, Yugure was too pissed off and focused on her boyfriend to notice. He was right, the Seeds exerted superhuman abilities with God-like cards. This toy wasn't really going to be all that much help, but it was nice to have, she guessed. There was a boy that caught her attention passing by the entrance with chocolate, but he was just another bystander, probably. Then... Haruka started talking like everyone else. Relax, relax! Christ, she can't do that! The soldier can't simply kick feet up and have a frosty beverage under the sun like others. No, there was work to do. There... had to be work to do after the Seeds, right? Like preparing for the reapers... that may not even show up.

"Loosen up", her beloved said. A finger, he pointed toward her.

"Feh", the woman scoffed, annoyed. The workaholic couldn't stop trying to find an excuse to work on something. Perhaps assist in first aid? Help the Espoir business? Some kind of arrangement. Possibly working on residence reconstruction could be a choice. ... Ugh, Yugure, be real. You're a soldier, not a nurse, businesswoman, or carpenter.

Maybe she did just need to relax.

"I'll relax when I'm dead", she defied anyway. Being out of the Espoir Manor, those traitors couldn't scoop her away to bed... though, the soldiers here could get a jump on her. "And I know you're not talking with those shoes, Haruka!"

His... his shoes... What about them?! Haruka slightly frowned, crossing his arms. The frown cracked into a grin anyways because even that joke was at least a slight form of relaxing. Jokes are always a great mood-lightener. Yukino may not have intentionally been trying to, but she cheered Haruka up immediately after semi-putting him down.

"When you're dead you say? That can be arranged!" Haruka dashed up behind her, attemping to wrap his arms around her waist and squeeze her. Purely out of... affectionate.

"... Just... relaaaax..." He was trying to be quiet as he launched his semi-surprise attack on the girl.

Satoshi sighed. These two...how in the world did he manage, nearly a year and a half ago, to become such close friends with them? How were they even still friends, considering how much conflict had pushed them all in separate directions from time to time?

...How long were they going to be back together?...

Haruka commented that he seemed rather relaxed if he came by the mansion just for coffee. Rather, it was the coffee that was trying to keep his mind off of everything that had happened. Tsubasa's passing, the difficulties that had arisen from the invasion...a sense of foreboding regarding what he had heard about the seeds...

A part of him was hoping these two would consider maybe taking some brief respite from it all. But of course that was never going to happen, with reactions like "I'll relax when I'm dead."

While he had been happy to see them before, Satoshi was once again wistful and distant. The HQ was getting shut down because the war was over. But was it really ever going to be over?

Yugure was frowning too, even pouting a bit. It was rather amazing she could be this upset over not doing her part. She looked off toward the distance, still trying to think of something. Maybe because Haruka had lightened her up some and it was paired with Satoshi's presence... she let her guard down, and her boyfriend sneak-attacked her!! Thrice now have her own allies got the jump on her! ... The girl sighed, mewling a little in frustration as Haruka embraced her by the waist. Yugure receded a bit in his hold, leaning back on him. Her arms folded, and she was still pouty.

"Harukaaaaa..." was whined.

"Yukinooooo..." He whined back. He rested his chin on her shoulder, staring over at Satoshi. Even he seemed lost in thought, a little tense himself. Even after Haruka had just praised him for not being so pent up about the situation. Haruka rolled his eyes and put his guard up for a moment.

"Okay, guys, I know. Things aren't over. I... Yeah I realize we have to deal with the seeds, and, that we might have even more on our plate. That is a given. But just stressing out over the inevitable battles we're going to face isn't really a good idea. Prepare, or relax. Not sure about you guys, but unless you want to go hunting for a Seed right now... I'd like to relax for a little. Talk to you guys? When is the last time we legitimately had a conversation NOT about the end of the world or saving it?"

Haruka looked at the two of them with obviously questioning looks.

"Right. So. Relax? Or do you have a plan of some sort. If so, lay it on me but...."

He nuzzled up to Yukino, squeezing a little tighter.

"I'll be backing you all up. Don't expect me to call any shots today."

He was pressed on the situation a little. Haruka wanted to avoid any battles for at least the remainder of the evening. If it meant that he would get to spend quality time with his first few friends since coming to the city, one of which was a partner-in-crime of his, the other being his lover and savior. If he didn't owe them a good night, one good night, he wasn't sure what he could provide them.

"I can change out of my boots if that makes you feel more. You know. Relaxed. What about you Satoshi? Got something to say about my boots? Please. Feel free."

Haruka gave a very slight peer over to Satoshi. It was joking banter... obviously.

Right?

Right.

Satoshi mulled over what Haruka said. The fact that he felt similarly was good to know. In which case...

"I want to take you two out for dinner."

He ran a head through his hair, letting out a gentle sigh, then smiling, still looking to the HQ. "It'll be good to have you guys around to at least do something, y'know?"

Another sigh came from the commander's lips. Seeing Satoshi's worry and hearing Haruka begin to speak of the tense atmosphere made her wish she was busy fighting so they didn't talk about this. At the same time, it made her wish she really could just sit down and relax with them. Don't know about the farmboy, but every single person the Chosen Sword saw attempted in getting her to just... lie down. Take a breather. This girl had been through two years of complete and utter hell, having known her loved ones were all dead in a timeline that was subsequently erased, and then struggled to save them in a new timeline, along with having to deal with detaching herself from her own humanity for the longest time. Even if there was more ahead, the soldier deserved her earned vacation.

Another whine, but a more contemplative one. Yugure nuzzled her cheek up to Haruka.

"I suppose... I should relax just to make you all stop bothering me about it.... Don't take off your boots, I'll be uncomfortable if we're not equipped for an ambush somehow..."

Next person who tried a sneak attack was getting beat by Blaster Dark's claymore.

Then Satoshi spoke of dinner.

Wait for it. Here comes the defiant, rebellious "I'm not hungry". After the War of Liberation, she was used to holding her appetite.

"I'm not-"

Too bad her stomach didn't agree and growled immediately in protest. She rarely had good food as it was anymore, never mind the fact that she barely ate during the war. Yugure simply blushed in response, keeping her mouth shut.

Fine. She'll relax.

Haruka broke out into immediate laughter as Yukino's stomach began to growl almost louder than her normal snarls. Seems her stomach is stronger than her spite, in this case. He patted her on the head lightly, giving a small grin trying to contain his chuckles.

With a silent victory cry, Haruka nodded at Satoshi enthusiastically about an invitation to dinner.

"Good, I'm starving. And uh, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one."

Haruka proceeded to devilishly grin at Yukino again, poking fun at her hunger. Even the most powerful of consciences get outweighed by human need. The blush on her face simply made the event that much more enjoyable. He sort of wished he could get a picture of this. Would make a great memory.

And on the boot note, "You... you think my boots are going to be what helps us escape an ambush? Really?" Haruka sighed, shaking his head with another laugh escaping.

"Alright Satoshi, what did you have in mind? Something extravagant? Oooor, a burger joint downtown? A cafe? Come on, I'm dying in suspense."

Haruka was actually dying of suspense. Get the paramedics. His heart might burst.

"Stop laughing!" Yugure shouted, clearly embarrassed and upset now. Stupid human needs! And why did her stomach have to be so loud?! Haruka's patting didn't help. Neither did his follow-up grin... that expression of a boasting victor. Another one of her usual snarls came out, unable to really counter to wipe that look off of his face.

As for the boots... "... I just want someone equipped with something, anything", the girl turned to face away from her boyfriend. Call it a soldier's natural anxiety, but she felt anxious with a lack of armory or battle-ready armaments. She could pop her swords out at a moment's notice, but these two... Those boots were at least something. You never know, he might deliver a dropkick so ferocious it saves the triad.

"Ugh..." The hunger lady complained some more.

Satoshi grinned. "I know a place. Follow me."

Fubuki lead the way to the training facility, hoping no resistance members would be there. She didn't really consider Cero part of the resistance during the Star-Vader war. He didn't cause her suffering, and, whether it was on purpose or not, actually helped her avoid and get through it. Maybe he'd even be nice and offer Aoi a place to stay.

Once they had arrived, she looked up at the massive building. It had been refurbished over the three months and made even more luxurious at the cost that not everyone was allowed in anymore. At the top, she saw the silhouette of a person... And a horse. Why was someone on a horse in Japan of all places? Wait, what were they doing on a rooftop with a horse? How did it get there? Why was it the--- The man on the horse was now riding down the side of a building. Since when did physics work like that?

The man on horseback was, of course, Cero. How did he see Fubuki and her friend approaching? He probably has some futuristic contact lens in his eye power by lightning powers (He doesn't, he just as cameras everywhere). He looked down at the two, his aura even more choking and crushing than when Fubuki at first met him. It almost felt like he was surrounded by an abyss. This was not the same Cero that she had met before, that was for certain.

As he stared down at the two women, Cero spoke. "What do you two want?"

Fubuki attempted to answer, but... "W-well, uh.. w-we were... Uhhhmmmm, we're here to..." It was too much, she couldn't say the words. Cero was too scary right now.

Aoi was too caught up ooo'ing and aah'ing at the sights of the city. Bad sushi aside, this place was really high maintenance and gorgeous. Everywhere looked so... bright and busy. Like that one American place, Las Vegas. The one in the movies. The cute little China girl had her gazes just all over, being distracted by the bustling activity of this nation. A land of progress! Surely, she'd be fine here. Aoi even went on to unintentionally annoy Fubuki a bit, pointing out every little thing that looked interesting. Especially a Television Store broadcasting anime, she loved anime. The baby girl in her wanted to be a true hero like those guys with the enormous swords they logically shouldn't be able to fight with.

Then, the Training Facility. "Whoa..." came out of her mouth, awed yet again. It looked so majestic, it stood out from miles away. ... Wait, this was a training facility, right? It was so glamorous and expensive looking, the Aqua Force prodigy suddenly didn't believe it all that much. Soon after, that thought was thrown out the window when a man on a horse was defying physics and riding his noble steed down the building.

"What."

Aoi almost immediately felt sick and pressured. The guy who came down practically radiated with power. A... dark feeling power too. An audible gulp occurred. This country was now more terrifying than amazing.

"A-Ah..." Aoi wound up stuttering with Fubuki once Cero spoke. "U-Uh... I'm... c-checking out the sights of Japan... J-Just looking into the place!"

Despite the stammering, the woman stood in front of Fubuki a bit protectively just in case. This guy was scary and could threaten either of them. She was used to dealing with violent persons, usually standing up for others around, even though she was scared out of her wits too.

Fubuki looked at Aoi, who had put herself between Cero and Fubuki. It was quite the act, considering she seemed just as afraid as Fubuki was by this evil Cero. However, it failed to impress Cero.

"I see," he said. Turning around, he began to trot back to the facility, and tossed something back towards Fubuki and Aoi. Though he wasn't particularly impressed by their actions in their first meeting, Cero had developed quite an eye for potential. He was already aware of Fubuki's, but he could tell that other woman had it as well. He had left behind two passes to the facility, one for each of them. The passes came in the form of pendants with what looked like a ruby embedded in the center.

Fubuki walked forwards and picked one of them up. She had no idea what it was, of course, beyond a piece of jewelry. It did look very nice, though. Maybe if it were a sapphire instead.... Fubuki leaned over and picked up the other pendant, tossing it to Aoi. "I guess these are supposed to be for us... Any idea what they might be?"